My root problems are:

• Not enough Money
  
• Resistance to go outside my comfort zone
  
• Resistance to change

My solution is: Think Outside the Box.


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I am beyond tired. I thought that living in Manda would mean that I can sleep early, wake up later, get to work on time. But with the high parking rate I experienced last week (i.e. I paid more for my parking weekly rent, than for my own weekly rent!) I tend to come home later, leave earlier JUST so that I get charged lesser hours. That just means, I'm more tired. Not helping.

I tried leaving my car at work, since I have free parking, but then it becomes a hassle getting to work. Gosh, ang daming sakay, that sometimes I take the taxi anyway! Which is also is a hefty amount for a short distance.

So yesterday, I looked for solutions. And I found one. Not the best, but for now it will do. I get to try it out today. Here's what I plan.

After all the things I have to do for the day, I will leave my car in TPT. This is a building along Edsa and Boni Ave. From there, I can ride a jeep going to Libertad (mga 5 mins) and then a trike to Cali Garden (another 2 or 3 mins). On the way to work, I do the same route.

TPT is actually a client, and right now, I've made pretty good friends with the admin. After a lot of "bola" and begging, he's agreed to let me park there. That brings down my nightly parking budget to commute budget by 80%. Not bad, right?

Hopefully this method *works*.

If not, I need to look for new solutions...

As I said... Think out of the box...

Questions to ask myself when life isn't working:

1. Am I in integrity? Am I living up to my word? In other words, when I say something, does it happen? Do I do it?
2. Rather than focus on my B.S. (bull shit / belief systems), what is my essence? Am I living up to it? Am I being committed and responsible?
   
3. Am I grounded? Does every little thing affect me? Am I not grounded on what's the here and now? Is the future worrying me, the past affecting me, rather than just living in the present and letting go?
4. Finally, have I given? If I'm already living up to my word, and in my essence, already grounded, have I given - because giving is the fastest way to be happy. Giving 100% and life will work.

I re-learned these lessons last night. I forgot about them, but now I remembered. And what beautiful lessons to learn.

It takes strength to be firm.
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to stand guard.
It takes courage to let down your guard.

It takes strength to conquer
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain.
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide feelings.
It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.

--- Copyright © 1998 Dave Griffith
--- Submitted by Kristen C., Age 15 --- Kansas

Beware of Garbage Trucks
by David J. Pollay

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.
So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

"Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did."

So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People."

Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled.

He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting.

Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here's my bet. You'll be happier.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it!

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I got this forwarded email from a friend. And it was so timely. Because awareness is half the task. After that, you get to choose how you feel.

My hope for you and me? That we choose not to let the garbage in.

Three years back I gave the testimonial to my "anak":
"He strives to be in the background, but born to shine."

This weekend, I experienced his shining moment. As a mother I was proud. So damn proud, I cried. Who would've thought I was coaching the world's greatest?

So to Marco Abadesco, my win for the week, Congratulations!

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My life learning for the week:

When you can't seem to get the answers, be of service to others. And know that by being of service to others, and by assisting them in their growth, you too shall grow.

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I had a fantabulous week last week. Silent blogging but so much stories, lessons, learnings and new found friends. Will update soon.

“Sometimes the only way to move forward is to go back.”

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For the past few weeks and months, I have felt "unexcellent". I was always complaining. Rant, rant, rant. Sometimes, I have something to blog about, but don't simply because I didn't want it to be another negative thought put into words, and worse, put into public knowledge. Most of this negativity resulted to poor work ethics. I'm totally guilty of it. And no, I am not proud of it.

One day, sometime after my Cebu trip, I made a conscious decision to stop the drama.

My colleagues, most especially my boss saw and felt the change and commented on it. The self motivation was my driving force, but for sure the affirmations helped. Now, though, they are more sanay to the "positive" attitude that the affirmations have stopped. Yesterday I was 15 minutes late to get to work.

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In an effort to stay positive, I have decided to go to back. Back to the point in my life where everything was always forward moving. That had to be during my life-coaching days 2 or 3 years ago.

Last night was step one. And what a step. Here's some things I've missed to hear.

Take a deep breath. Be grounded. What are your wins? What do you commit to be? What do you choose now? What's the lesson? What have you learned? Choose your higher self. What's the value? Just trust. Accept and be open to the process. Love yourself.

And finally, the killer phrase that caught me off guard because I haven't heard it for such a long long time - "Let's white light Yev ka."

It feels surreal to be back. It's like I'm new and old at the same time. Like meeting a best friend I've lost touch with, for the first time. It's being excited, but scared; sure, but doubtful. Insecure and challenged. But seeing opportunities everywhere.

So here's to new experiences, possibly new friends, new inspirations and new lessons.

I drink to that.

My question for the day: What is your reaction when someone close to your heart cut ties with you, for whatever reason?

Do you:
Try to sort it out with the other person?
Say "keber, bahala ka rin sa buhay mo"?
Cry?
Wonder, "what did I do wrong?"
Wish the other person wrong/harm/karma?
Think of what you could do to prevent it next time?
Say, "it's better this way at least there are no more arguments"?
Good riddance to bad rubbish?
Wish that the person apologizes eventually or make amends, but you yourself, won't do anything?
Talk negatively about the person to common friends?
Look for a kakampi?
Forgive, even if you don't understand?

My counter question: What would Love do?

We need moments of inspiration daily. Here's one I received that lifted up my spirits. Just when I'm about to take my morning coffee, I might add.

Hugs!

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A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

May you always have the best COFFEE to your taste!

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Personally I feel like I've been a carrot. Hmm, maybe that's why I crumble easily. Another cup of coffee please...

Monday has definitely been one of my not better days. To think that the week just started. Yesterday morning, Monday’s stress caught up with me. My stomach took the bunt and I forced myself to stay home (so, okay, I didn't have to force hard. I could have still gone to work, but I didn't want to). For most of the day I worked from home, using my ever reliable broadband (I'm being sarcastic, connection has been hell) and mobile landline. Since my stomach didn't feel like eating, I was only ready to go out for food by dinnertime.

• That there are still idealists out there;
• Being gutsy takes over smarts, in any place of the world;
• Security won't necessarily come from a monthly pay check;
• Responsibility rules - without it, it's like throwing away your hard earned cash;
• You don't necessarily need titles, degrees, or experience to be paid $100 an hour;
• Nor do you necessarily need capital to start a business;
• Ingenuity is the name of the game;
• That starting at the bottom of the pyramid is not necessarily a bad thing;
• That losing money, should never be a reason to be disheartened – it’s just money, and it can be earned again;
• That being afraid can literally stop you from being the best you can be;
• That there are still guys out there who are looking for the “true pinay” (and what he meant by that is the “never been kissed, never been touched” pinay);
• Change is not a bad thing; in fact if you get over being afraid, change is most definitely a good thing;
• That I already knew about change being a good thing (in principle) but I have never really gone out of my shell because of fear.

After a series of misfortunate events, and I badly needed a good pick me up (or a slap in the face), I came to realize that my night with Oman came in perfect timing.

I'm ready now to take control of my life once again. And if I play my cards right, I think events should be onward and upward from here. But not without being challenged first. I anticipate that, I look forward to it. It's even funny that the day Oman leaves Pinas is when one of my challenges will come. That wasn't a coincidence either. That was the universe giving me a clear answer to my question.